Journal archives for June 2023

June 28, 2023

Virginia Creeper vs Thicket Creeper

P. quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper) P. inserta (Thicket Creeper)
Flowers:
Branching clusters 3 to 6 inches long, the cluster typically WITH a well-defined central stalk that may zig-zag between the main branches, and 80 to 150+ flowers per cluster.
Flowers:
Branching clusters 3 to 6 inches long, the cluster branches FORKING, WITHOUT a well-defined central stalk, and 10 to 75 flowers per cluster.

Leafs:
- Occasionally 4, rarely 3 or 7.
- Middle leaflet largest, up to 6 inches long, the end leaflets smallest.
- Leaflets are elliptical to nearly diamond shaped.
- Usually dull green though may be shiny when young.
- Upper surface sparsely to moderately stiff-hairy especially along the veins.
- Lower surface is somewhat paler and usually short-hairy.
- Leaflet stalks are usually variously hairy.
Tendrils:
- Opposite the leaf stalk is a tendril with up to 10 branches. 1/2 inches long.
- Adhesive discs.

Leafs:
- Occasionally 4, rarely 7.
- Leaflets all about the same size. OR the middle leaflet largest, up to 5 inches long, the end leaflets smallest.
- Leaflets are mostly oval-elliptic.
- Shiny green when fresh, though usually loses its sheen with age.
- Upper surface mostly hairless or with a few sparse hairs.
- Lower surface is paler and hairless to short-hairy.
- Leaflet stalks are hairless.
Tendrils:
- Opposite the leaf stalk is a tendril branched 2 or 3 times. 1/2 - 6 inches long.
- No discs.

Stems/Woody part:
-New stems are hairy.
-Plants climbing on trees develop aerial roots on the main stem and branches.
-Up to nearly 3 inches in diameter.
-Usually high-climbing, sometimes crawling along the ground.

Stems/Woody part:
-New stems are hairy.
-Plants climbing on trees develop aerial roots on the main stem and branches.
-Up to nearly 5 inches in diameter.
-Usually sprawling across the ground and over shrubs, also climbing trees, fences and other structures, may root at the nodes and become the dominant groundcover.

Fruit:
About 1/3 inch in diameter (smaller) , containing 2-3 seeds
Fruit:
About 3/8 inch in diameter (larger ), containing 4 seeds

All above info are a summary from below excellent webpages:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/shrub/virginia-creeper
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/shrub/woodbine

Posted on June 28, 2023 02:26 AM by jean0216 jean0216 | 0 comments | Leave a comment

June 29, 2023

3 Royal Fern Family Differentiations + 1 Ostrich Fern

There are 4 or 5 varieties of Osmunda regalis spread across nearly every continent, but only var. spectabilis is recognized in North America.

Osmunda regalis
(Royal Fern)
Osmunda claytoniana
(Interrupted Fern)
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
(Cinnamon Fern)
Matteuccia struthiopteris
(Ostrich Fern)
Fiddlehead:
Thick white wooly
Fiddlehead:
Light white wooly
Fiddlehead:
Light brown wooly
Fiddlehead:
No wool.
Leaves:
Twice compound. Bush-like. Most distinctive of the all four.
Leaves:
Generally elliptic to oblong in outline, tapering at both ends.
FORKED lateral veins on underside.
Leaves:
Generally lance-shaped in outline, widest below the middle and gradually tapering at the tip end.
FORKED lateral veins on underside.
Persistent tuft of hair on the underside of the leaf at main stem and leaflet mid-nerve.
Leaves:
Generally elliptic to oblong in outline, tapering at both ends.
BUT veins are STRAIGHT, not forked.
Spores
Capsules turn rusty colored.
Capsules attached to a stalk at the tip of a leaf. Hence "Crown"/"Royal".
Spores
Capsules turn dark brown / near black colored.
Capsules attached to a stalk at the middle of a leaf. Hence "Interrupted".
Spores
Capsules turn cinnamon colored.

Fertile leaf is hairy.
Spores
Spores in long tube "pods". Most distinctive of the four.

All above info are a summary from below excellent webpages:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/fern/ostrich-fern
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/fern/cinnamon-fern
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/fern/interrupted-fern
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/fern/royal-fern

Posted on June 29, 2023 02:52 AM by jean0216 jean0216 | 0 comments | Leave a comment

June 30, 2023

Western vs. Eastern Poison Ivy

Toxicodendron rydbergii
(Western Poison Ivy)
Toxicodendron radicans
(Eastern Poison Ivy)
Flowers:
Clusters 2-12 inches. Each flower about 1/16inches across. Greenish white petals.
Flowers:
Clusters up to 4 inches. Male and female flowers on separate plants. Each flower about 4/16inches across. Greenish white to yellowish green petals.
Leaves and Stems:
"The upper leaf surface is hairless and shiny, becoming dull with age... The underside... with a few hairs along the midvein." Cited website also has comment "often drooping" and "often folded along midrib".
Leaves and Stems:
"The upper leaf surface is sparsely covered in appressed hairs, the underside... more densely hairy especially along major veins. "
"Plants can grow shrub-like with stems up to 1 inch diameter at breast height, or as a climbing vine with a trunk 2 or more inches in diameter and numerous aerial roots that latch onto tree bark for support."
"Eastern Poison Ivy has hairy leaf stalks and hairier leaves and its growth habit is either more branching and shrub-like, or vining which Western Poison Ivy never does."
Fruit
~1/8 inch in diameter.
Fruit
~1/6 inch in diameter.

All info above are from below excellent webpages:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/shrub/western-poison-ivy
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/shrub/eastern-poison-ivy

Posted on June 30, 2023 08:12 PM by jean0216 jean0216 | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Three Foxtails

Setaria faberi
(Giant Foxtail)
Setaria pumila
(Yellow Foxtail)
Setaria viridis
(Green Foxtail)
Size:
2-4ft
Size:
1-3ft
Size:
1-2ft
Ligules and leaves:
Ligules made up of stiff hairs.
Small, short hairs along the upper surface of the leaf blades.
Ligules and leaves:
Ligules made up of stiff hairs.
Long hairs near the base of the leaf blade (in the collar region i.e. where the leaf blade becomes the sheath)
Ligules and leaves:
Ligules made up of stiff hairs.
Leaves hairless.
Leaves:
Twice compound. Bush-like. Most distinctive of the all four.
Leaves:
Generally elliptic to oblong in outline, tapering at both ends.
FORKED lateral veins on underside.
Leaves:
Generally lance-shaped in outline, widest below the middle and gradually tapering at the tip end.
FORKED lateral veins on underside.
Persistent tuft of hair on the underside of the leaf at main stem and leaflet mid-nerve.
Inflorescence
A nodding inflorescence, 1-3 bristles
Inflorescence
An erect inflorescence, 1-3 bristles
Inflorescence
An erect inflorescence, 5-15 bristles

"Bristles are different than awns – while awns emerge from the tip of the spikelets, bristles surround the base of the spikelet, and are found in clusters."

All above info are a summary from below excellent webpage:
https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/grasses-glance/2022-07-18-comparing-foxtails#:~:text=Size,one%20to%20two%20feet%20tall.

Posted on June 30, 2023 08:31 PM by jean0216 jean0216 | 0 comments | Leave a comment

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